Boy dies in car crash off flyover

A STAFF REPORTER

The car that met with the accident. (Sayantan Ghosh)

An eight-year-old boy sitting in the front seat of a car without a seat belt died after the vehicle lost control, slammed into another car and overturned while approaching the busy Rajarhat-Nicco Park flyover on Sunday evening.

Aditya Bahadur Chhetri, a student of Class II, died on the spot. Father Ram Bahadur, who was driving the car escaped unhurt, while mother Shanti, sitting in the rear seat, has been admitted to hospital with head injuries.

Police said the family was returning home to BJ block in Salt Lake from a friend’s house in New Town. “Ram Bahadur is a driver by profession. The car belongs to a Salt Lake family that had hired Ram Bahadur as driver many years ago. Since then, the Chhetris have been living in the family’s house in BJ block,” said an officer.

“The car hit the divider while approaching the flyover (in front of the Wipro campus) from Rajarhat and its front right wheel came off. The car then lost control and rammed into another car plying in the same direction before turning turtle,” the officer said.

Ram Bahadur managed to come out of the car and dragged his wife and son out with the help of some local people. The parents took the boy to Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, where Aditya was declared dead on arrival.

“Aditya was bleeding and unconscious. The family hired a taxi and rushed to the hospital but it was too late,” said Tapan Halder, the owner of the car Ram Bahadur was driving.

The accident has once again exposed the need for using seat belts. “Ideally, children should not be allowed in the front seat. Some countries have imposed curbs on children sitting in front seats. We do not have such restrictions but parents should ensure that children strap the seat belt if they are in the front seat,” said an officer.